Lipless crankbaits... Help me understand??

[bassfishkansas]

I have been really having great luck with a red lipless bait this time of year. Rayburn red is my favorite color, but be sure to have at least one red one in your tackle box. Spring fish really love that red in stained water. The darker the water, the darker the red that you want to use. Sometimes I even spraypaint my own different shades of red. Whenever I fish with somebody that has a silver of gold bait, I outfish them 75% of the time. I perfer the Cotton Cordell Super Spot. They're very inexpensive at $3, and the fish love the action. I cast mine with 15# fluro most of the time, but sometimes I'll use 25# braid if I need to cut through grass. Thin braid usually cuts through grass easier. I fish the baits in 3-7 feet of water, and have had the most luck with them through spring and into summer. My favorite presentation is burning them as fast as the baits will allow me without swirling out of control. I mainly use a 1/2 oz model, but sometimes use a smaller 3/8 oz or 1/4 oz is great on spinning gear for finicky bass or for numbers. I throw the big 1/2 oz bait on a 6'6" MH Cabelas Tourney Trail baitcast rod (1/4-1 oz) with a 6.4:1 ratio widespool Johnny Morris baitcast reel. I throw the smaller ones with a 7' M Cabelas XML spinning rod (1/4-5/8 oz) with a Quantum Escalade 40 size spinning reel and the 25# braid with a 7' 12# flurocarbon leader (joined to main line with a double uni-knot). I always replace the cheap bronze hooks with stainless steel mustad elite trebles, and always add an oval line tie split ring in the place of the old split ring.